Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia – AlJazeera

Ethiopia hosts the highest number of refugees in Africa, a large number of whom are fleeing neighbouring Eritrea.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - After Syrians and Afghans, Eritreans comprise the third largest group to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
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Ethiopia hosts the highest number of refugees in Africa, a large number of whom are fleeing neighbouring Eritrea.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – After Syrians and Afghans, Eritreans comprise the third largest group to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

They are aware that their lives are at great risk during the journey, but they would rather take their chances. Back in Eritrea, they say the situation has “reached the bottom”. They are fleeing from a country where, according to Amnesty International, arbitrary detention without charge or trial and torture is the norm for thousands of prisoners of conscience, the rule of law remains sparse, political opposition is banned, and there is no freedom of religion or movement.

Ethiopia is the starting point for Eritrean refugees making their way to Europe. This neighbouring country has the highest number of refugees in Africa – more than 700,000 people according to international monitors, of whom more than 100,000 are Eritrean.

Most refugees are placed in camps by the government, where they say “life is not acceptable because of the heat, the small amount of food and because there is nothing to do all day”.

Many refugees eventually move to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

Once there, they discover a city with one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and with a population of 4.5 million which is expected to double by 2040.

Some decide to stay “because life in Addis is not so bad, even if it is quite difficult to earn good money”. They say they scrape enough together through informal jobs or have relatives or friends abroad send them money.

*Some names were changed at the request of the refugees.

Many Eritrean refugees live in the suburb of Mebra Hailt in Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa. Four to eight people live in two-room apartments, paying $150 per month. The average pay for manual labour as a bricklayer, for example, is around $60 per month. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Muse arrived in Addis Ababa eight months ago. He is diabetic and requires regular medication. He left Eritrea because he could not get the medication he needs there. His mother stayed behind with his younger brother. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Muse says: ‘I didn’t have medicines there. But, even now I’m not OK. I don’t have a visa and I cannot go to school. I only have enough insulin to last me a month.’ He desperately wants to go to Europe. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Muse, who is in his teens, lives with his cousin Gebre, 47, who has decided to stay in Addis Ababa to help other Eritreans. His father, a Protestant pastor, was jailed for three years in Eritrea. ‘It was the worst experience of my life. I swear I will never go back if things don’t change.’ [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Eight people share the house, including Muse and his cousin. They share a traditional Eritrean meal of injera, a sort of flatbread, for lunch. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Muse’s uncle, Naizghi, 27, is very religious and attends church each Sunday. He hopes to leave Addis Ababa soon. ‘I don’t know when I will be ready. I hope to try my chances this summer. If I die in the sea, it will be my fate. I want to travel to England and have the same opportunity as Western people.’ [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Streets are quite empty in Mebra Hailt during the day. Young Eritreans like to go out in the evenings with friends. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Awet, 15, arrived in the neighbourhood five months ago. He escaped with friends from a village 40 kilometres from Asmara. ‘In Eritrea there is no future,’ he says. He lived in a camp close to the border for two years. He has a brother in Sweden and is waiting for family reunification documents. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Tsega arrived in Ethiopia two years ago and is waiting to be reunited with her husband who is in Sweden. He has told her that she will have to wait until next summer. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Tsega, 25, lives in Addis Ababa with her young child. They share a small apartment with another woman and her son. She keeps her clothes and some beauty products in a bag close to her bed. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

The suburb where the Eritrean refugees live can be reached by two minibuses that leave from Mexico Square. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Some refugees live in the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Birhanu, 20, lives with Adane, 21, near the airport. Their shack measures only 15 square metres and has no bathroom. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Birhanu left Keren, the second largest city in Eritrea, because he was forced to serve in the army, for which he was paid only $8 a month. He is not sure where to go next as he has no relatives in Europe and no money to pay for his journey. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

‘I am waiting for April, when the waves calm down and the sea is better,’ said Russom, 27. ‘In 20 hours from Libya, we can reach the Italian coast where they will rescue us. I know it is risky, but I am not afraid.’ Russom is from Asmara. Two years ago, he reached the Ethiopian capital without documents but he hopes to have enough money by next year to pay for his journey. He has tried to reach Libya on two previous occasions, paying $1,500 each time, but was stopped in Sudan and sent back. [Stefania Prandi/Al Jazeera]

Review overview

9 COMMENTS

abeMarch 15, 2016

So far the government and the people of Ethiopia has done magnificent job in accommodating the refugees.
But I think Ethiopian government should go farther and extend permanent residence and citizenship to all stay indefinitely.We can’t afford to leave the country for Jihadist.

Notice ,non of the youngsters boldly outright criticizes the regime,nobody is spitting venom of revenge for a stolen childhood and squandered future dreams, even though they are the direct victims of the tyrant.It is a beat down,it is brainwashing in its rudimentary sense,it is the shredding of the individual and replacing it with an alter ego – the tyrant.That is where the cultist ‘NIHNA NISU,NISU NIHNA’ comes from.That’s the reason why they snatch them from their parents laps and put them in their camps where the dirty work is done during the formative years when the child personality is molded.The Mosad intelligence has trained them well.Now,the youngster have no clue what he/she is running from,and they cannot fight against their alter ego- themselves.In my personal collection of poems titled ‘Today’s Eritrean youth’ states,’..how do I fight this evil within me,it is consuming me alive,so I keep running,drowning,blown away to oblivion with no end in sight..’ Dear fellow citizens,especially those of us who are fortunate enough to get some education, our youth is pleading to us to be pulled out from this mayhem of despair and confusion and see a ray of hope and freedom,at least from their conscience.Nobody has wreaked so much havoc to our society,even all those intruders combined that ruled us in the past than this tyrant.

AdiugriMarch 15, 2016

Hi Friends, if we consider the situation in Eritrea it is common to be recall the most unique type of crazy life recognizing as jail of the world.
God Bless all discriminated citizens with no reason in the whole world.

new user nameMarch 15, 2016

Eritrea is not going to bad to worse! The hemorrhage mainly from Kebessa Eritrea is bringing unpleasant demographic changes. You know what I mean! Nonetheless, whomever believes in a future for Eritrea, needs to do something to stop this. what is a country without its youth? tens of thousands of our youth flock to the west in search of a normal world, for normal is missing in Eritrea. However, leaving the country does not bring the desired change, unless one fights back for his rights. what does it take to start a rebellion? how can this be missing in the minds of our youth?

oromai erena shikorMarch 15, 2016

k.tewolde,

I am not sure if the government is totally to be blamed ,plus they have no caring opposition party ,and most people are not political, they are just interested how they can get to north America,Europe or Australia and forget about Eritrea and their shi**y life there.And in Ethiopia there are many Higdef{s spies that work underground so like us who are in the west they just want to live, be cyber heros and paltalk warriors. It is a different mind set when you are in Africa and out here.

ertra n ertrawyanMarch 16, 2016

At this time it is Ethiopian government which is accommodating our citizens in camps.So i would like to thank Ethiopian government specially the Tigray people. And i would also kindly recommend Ethiopian government to provide Eritreans residence and work permit instead of staying them in camps.

AHMED SALEH !!!March 17, 2016

Take us much us you can big number of Eritreans .
Make them feel at home among Ethiopian society .
Others will follow for peaceful future .
Leave the country with old people , women and children .
Isolate thugs in Asmera from entire population .
Plan and execute to claim intended target . Mission accomplished .
WAKE UP ERITREANS SMELL THE COFFEE . HGDF abused mindset by DMUDMU
lost consciousness is heading for doomsday . Save our house from
fire . To seek refugee at neighbor house doesn’t guarantee your
future well beings . Nothing can compare with your sweet home .